COLORADO SPRINGS. Three Our Lady of the Pines parishioners have been tending a vegetable garden that provides fresh produce for the city’s needy population.

Shari Underwood, Deb Calhoun and Carla Dunford tend a garden located on the rectory grounds at Our Lady of the Pines Parish in the Black Forest section of Colorado Springs. The garden provides nutritionally-rich produce grown to support the needs of poor, urban neighborhoods and rural, secluded areas. This includes struggling families, seniors living on a fixed income, the working poor, military veterans, the disabled, unsupported teens and the city’s homeless population.

WOODLAND PARK. The Knights of Columbus are out for blood — in the best possible way.

Their bimonthly blood drive, held at Our Lady of the Woods Church, has seen remarkable growth in 2023. Where 2022 was consistently around 70 donors per drive, that number went to 76 in March before skyrocketing to 94 in May, 106 in July and 122 in September.

COLORADO SPRINGS. American Heritage Girls (AHG) is a Christ-centered non-profit organization focused on the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country.

COLORADO SPRINGS. In a formal ceremony and blessing on Oct. 5, Bishop James Golka dedicated a fully-restored historic building on the grounds of Mount St. Francis to serve as Padre Pio Place, a community rectory for the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

LIMON. Two local women are being lauded by their parish for presenting the rosary to correctional facility prisoners in what they hope will result in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ.